


luckily i can read your mind

by lavenderbluud



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Parents Maggie Tozier & Wentworth Tozier, Crying, Cuz fuck that, Flu, Fluff, I'm Bad At Summaries, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pennywise happened but is only mentioned, Richie Tozier & Stanley Uris Are Best Friends, Richie Tozier Loves Stanley Uris, Richie Tozier and Eddie Kaspbrak are best friends, Sick Richie Tozier, Sickfic, Soft Richie Tozier, Stanley Uris Loves Richie Tozier, Stozier, basically richie gets sick and stan takes care of him, bc i love stozier sm, it's very very very soft, nothing too graphic, richie is Baby, slight abuse mentioned, slight vomit warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 08:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21335317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderbluud/pseuds/lavenderbluud
Summary: Richie's having a bad week, like a really bad week, he misses his boyfriend and he's stressed with school. When he gets the flu on top of all of that, his friends decide to do something.I'm terrible at summaries: basically Richie gets really sick after a bad week and his friends decide to let Stan know so he can take care of him. It's very very soft Stozier bc I love Stozier sm.
Relationships: Bill Denbrough/Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier/Stanley Uris
Comments: 13
Kudos: 266





	luckily i can read your mind

**Author's Note:**

> my first Stozier fic!! I really like this one, please let me know what you think!
> 
> title is from: lovely by twenty one pilots

Richie doesn’t know how he got so fucking lucky. His life was pretty fucking awesome. Yeah, his parents were terrible, he was bullied, he grew up in a homophobic town, he had severe anxiety issues, and he had to fight an evil demon clown, but hey it’s not all bad. After all, he had amazing friends he loves more than anything, he got into his dream college with said friends, and his grades are awesome. And of course, the most important thing in Richie’s life, he had his boyfriend.

The fucking love of his life, his sun and stars, his light, his sweetheart, the reason he’s still here. God he fucking loved Stanley. 

It had been a rough week, for sure. For starters, Stan had left for a bird watching exploration for his ornithology class, his partner for his cinematography project had completely ditched and left Richie to do all the work, he’d lost his favorite jacket and had to walk to class in the cold, the pressure in his head had been building and his nosebleeds had started up again, the coil on his favorite vape burned out, and to top it all off he ran out of his medication and didn’t have time to refill it. 

So yeah, Richie wasn’t doing too hot. 

“Okay, Rich, I’m going to head down to the pharmacy and pick up your prescription! And some soup! You guys have no food and you should never take these on an empty stomach!” Eddie reprimanded Richie as he helped organize the teen’s notes. 

“Thanks, spaghetti.” Richie smiled softly at his best friend, Eddie rolled his eyes at the nickname but pressed an easy kiss to Richie’s hair, knowing how it calmed him down.

“I’ll be right back, Richie. Keep cleaning, the others are gonna be over soon!” Eddie shrugged on his coat and grabbed his wallet, Richie let out a little laugh at how nostalgic all of this felt.

“Drive safe, Eds!” Richie called out as Eddie left, earning him a middle finger and a grin.

Richie sighed as he was alone again, he really hated being alone. He’d been feeling extremely tired recently, maybe it was due to stress, or lack of medication, or maybe he just missed Stan, but he’d been freezing and dizzy all day long. He mentioned to Eddie and Bev that he’d had a rough week without Stanley, which led to them organizing a movie/game night with the others. The thought of all his friends coming together just to support him made him feel so much warmer. 

Richie eventually heaved himself off of the bed and began to straighten out the sheets. Stan’s side of the room was, of course, already extremely organized, with all his supplies stored neatly, his pillows arranged symmetrically, and his picture frames straight and even. Richie’s desk was somewhat organized, thanks to his neat best friend and even neater boyfriend, he had posters and pictures taped up randomly on his wall, and his bed was almost always a mess of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals. 

After almost 10 minutes, Richie had finished tidying up and was shivering, he quickly crossed to Stan’s closet and yanked a dark green sweatshirt off the hanger before sliding it on. It was easily way too large for Rich, the hem almost reaching his knees, but he can’t help it if his boyfriend is almost 5 inches taller than him! 

Speaking of his boyfriend, Stan had sent Richie a picture of him and his friend, Bailey on a hike yesterday and Richie had nearly cried in response, not realizing just how much he missed his love. Richie sent a photo of him and Beverly vaping on the bleachers in response, he noticed Stan saved the picture to his camera roll and smiled. 

“Richard! Open up! We’re here! We brought Uno, Cards Against Humanity, Monopoly, and we ordered Dominos!” Beverly banged on the door with a giggle, Richie grinned and hopped up, steadying himself as everything went blurry for a moment before pulling the door open.

“Ms. Marsh! Benny! Mike n ike! Big Bill! Eddie spaghetti! What a lovely surprise!” Richie smiled brightly at his friends. Beverly scoffed and rolled her eyes fondly.

“You knew we were coming, dipshit.” She snarked as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. She pulled back with a concerned expression, reaching up and pressing soft hands all over Richie’s face, much to his confusion. “You feel warm, baby, are you alright? Are you getting sick? Let me take your temperature.” Beverly fretted with a frown, Richie’s face heated up at the attention.

“I’m okay, Bevvy, really! You sound like Eds! I’ve just been cleaning a fuck ton! Cmon, bitches, let’s get this party started!” Richie waved her off with a wide smile, motioning for the others to follow him into his dorm. Beverly shared the classic ‘what a dumbass somebody text his man’ look with the boys, Mike sneakily texting Stanley while Bev and Ben set up a game of Uno and Bill turned on the TV. Eddie dropped off Richie’s prescription and various groceries on the counter, earning him a hug from Richie. 

[Michelangelo (Mike) —> bird man (Stanley) 5:24 pm]

Michelangelo: stanny the manny :) hows it going

bird man: It’s pretty good, Mike, I’m a little disappointed we are leaving so soon but it was great. :) How’re things back there?

Michelangelo: 4 me it’s nice!! but richie isn’t doing too well

bird man: What’s wrong? Do I need to come back? Is he upset? 

Michelangelo: it’s been a rlly bad week for him, he misses u and he has a huge project his partner ditched him on, his nosebleeds started up again, he lost his jacket, his vape broke, and he’s out of meds :( now we think he’s running a fever 

Michelangelo: we figured 2 text u and let u kno bc rich probs hasn’t said anything, u know how he gets 

bird man: I am leaving early, I will be there in 2 hours. Thank you for letting me know, Mikey. 

Michelangelo: anytime stanny :D

Mike stuffed his phone in his pocket and nodded at Beverly, mouthing 'on his way' with a smug smile, which Bev returned. 

“Here, baby, I know you were running low.” Beverly pressed a box of cigarettes into Richie’s hand with a chuckle at how Richie lit up (hah) at the sight of them. 

"You're a goddess, Bevvie." Richie swooned dramatically, earning him a playful shove. 

"The p-pizza is one it's wuh-way!" Bill called from the couch, laughing as his friends erupted in cheers. 

"What're we watching, Spaghetti Man?" Richie jumped over the back of the couch, plopping down next to Eddie, who was sat in Bill's lap, and stuffing the box of cigarettes in his pocket. 

“Not my name, dumbass! And I’m looking for something on Netflix, what’re you guys in the mood for?” Eddie huffed, clicking the remote with a scowl, making Bill chuckle fondly. 

“Horror, of fucking course!” Bev exclaimed, popping open a can of soda and sitting next to Richie, who rested his head on her shoulder, already feeling a little better with his friends at his side. 

"I vote rom-com!" Ben raised his hand, Richie blowing a raspberry in response. 

"Ooh! They put The Conjuring on Netflix! We gotta watch it!" Richie pointed at the screen and smacked Eddie's leg, Eddie slapped his hand. "C'mon pleeeasee!" Richie whined with big eyes, the others knew that Richie wasn't feeling well and that he was having a rough week, so they relented and played the movie. 

15 minutes into the movie, the pizza shows up, 30 minutes later Richie starts sniffling, and one full hour into the movie Richie sprints to the bathroom and looses everything he ate that night. Beverly runs in behind him, telling the others that she can handle it, and holds his hair back, rubbing his back while he cried on the cold tile. 

“Yeah, I think you have the flu, babe.” Beverly frowned sympathetically, Richie shook his head, curls flying everywhere.

“M’fine, Bevvie, really! Not sick!” Richie slurred, waving his hand and attempting a calm smile. 

“Oh sweet boy, what are we gonna do with you?” Bev sighed playfully, holding Richie close to her chest and rocking back and forth. 

“Hey Rich, got you some w-water.” Bill spoke softly in the doorway to the bathroom, a chilled glass of water was passed gently to Richie, who sipped carefully with tears still running down his throat. 

“Thanks, Billy, you guys-uhghh-you can leave, I don’t wanna get you sick.” Richie groaned, Beverly took the glass from him and set it on the counter. 

“We d-d-don’t want to leave you alone, Richie.” Bill frowned, Richie sniffled sadly and leaned back into Bev. Beverly shook her head at Bill, mouthing ‘Stan is on his way’ with a nod to the boy in her arms. Bill nodded with a smile and slowly backed out of the bathroom. 

“Okay sweetheart, think you can make it to your bed?” Beverly smiled encouragingly, Richie nodded his head and attempted to heave himself off the floor, Beverly grabbed under his armpits and lifted him easily. 

“Damn, Bevs, you’re one tough gal.” Richie smiled, slightly dazed, most likely from the fever. Bev giggled and helped usher him to his room. 

The others were still in the living room, the movie was paused and they all spun around at the sound of Richie laying on his bed. They each got up and quietly made their way to his room, Beverly was pulling the blanket over him and brushing a hand through his hair. 

“Hey, Rich, how’re you feeling?” Mike crouched by Richie’s bed with soft eyes. 

“I’m doing just wonderful, Mikey. How’re you guys?” Richie smiled tiredly in response, he really hated being sick but being sick and without his boyfriend? Richie might actually die.

“Here Chee, I got some Tylenol, it should help your fever a little, you need to make sure to hydrate and rest.” Eddie set two red pills next to Richie’s glass of water on his bedside table. 

“Thanks, Eds. You guys really are the best, mmhmm, just the b-best ever. You should go, ‘m gonna get you sick.” Richie struggled to sit up and took the pills with a sigh. He harshly wiped the tears that continued to fall from his eyes. He hated feeling like this. 

The lock clicking on the door startled all of them, the group’s heads all whipping around to see Stanley stumble through the door. He set his bags down and shrugged his coat off before rushing over to his boyfriend. 

“Stan?! Wh-ack!-what’re you doing here?!” Richie coughed, eyes wide with disbelief, Bev and Mike stepped aside to let Stanley through. 

“Mike texted me, said you weren’t feeling well. What’s going on, babylove?” Stan pressed a hand to Richie’s forehead with a sad frown, Richie sniffled miserably and looked down. 

“He’s got the flu, he just threw up, Eddie gave him some Tylenol to help his fever.” Bev explained with a crease between her brows. Richie felt guilty, he didn’t mean to make his friends upset.

“M’sorry.” Richie sniffled again, Bill shook his head and jogged back into the living room to grab some tissues, he handed them to Stan who nodded gratefully. 

“Nothing to be sorry for, Rich, it’s okay.” Mike smiled kindly, patting Richie’s leg while Stanley handed his boyfriend some tissues. 

“Thank you guys, I think I can handle him from here. I’ll let you know how he’s feeling tomorrow. It means a lot that you texted me, I was worried something was going on with him.” Stan ushered his friends back to the living room, where they began to pack up their stuff. 

“It’s not a problem, Stan the Man, besides, Richie’s been missing you like crazy!” Beverly grinned brightly as she swung her backpack over her shoulder. Bill laced his fingers with Eddie’s, Ben slid the pizza box into the fridge, and Mike turned off the TV. 

“Goodnight, guys. Love you!” Stanley called out as he made his way back to the bedroom, his friends all waved and began to head out.

“Love you!” Richie’s voice shouted hoarsely from his room, making the group laugh happily.

“Love you too, Richie!” They all called back, Richie smiled and waved even though they couldn’t see him.

Stan quickly refilled Richie’s cup of water and grabbed a bowl, just in case. He began searching for medicine while Richie tossed and turned in his bed. He felt fucking awful, not just because of the flu, but because his boyfriend had to leave early from his trip just to take care of his dumbass. As Stan rushed back to Richie’s bed he frowned at how sad his boy looked.

“Hey, Rich, can you sit up for me?” Stan set the cup next to the medicine on the nightstand and the bowl down next to the bed, Richie screwed his eyes shut as more tears threatened to fall. “Oh no no no, baby boy, why the tears? Are you still in pain?” Stan quickly sat on the bed, running his hands through Richie’s dark curls and feeling his temperature. Richie shook his head and sobbed quietly. 

“M’sorry, Stanny.” He gasped out, shaking slightly. Stan’s heart practically shattered as Richie began crying harder, refusing to meet Stan’s eyes. Stan pulled Richie onto his lap and rubbed his back, shushing him gently and pressing kisses to his hair. 

“What’re you sorry for, lovebug?” Stan asked in confusion once Richie had breathed a little, pulling back to wipe Richie’s eyes. 

“Didn’t wanna make you mad. You-you had your trip and here I am being a fucking idiot and wasting your time and and-fuck!” Richie hiccuped, Stanley held him tighter as he began to shake again. Stan let out a breath of understanding, he hated that he knew where this was coming from. 

Richie’s parents. Fucking Wentworth and Maggie Tozier. The assholes that made his boyfriend feel like he had to apologize just for being born and made him feel like a burden, the dickheads that neglected and hurt him. God, Stan believed in forgiveness but in times like these, he’s not sure he’s capable of it.

“Richie? Hey, baby? Can you look at me?” Stan tilted Richie’s chin up and smiled at his boyfriend’s tear-stained face. “There’s my pretty boy." the Jewish boy cooed as he cupped Richie's face, Richie melted a little and some of the tension left his body. "Hey, I'm here, it's okay. I'm gonna make you feel better. Let's get some medicine in you, okay?" Stan smiled lovingly as Richie made an odd sniffling noise and nodded. He slid off the bed and helped Richie take the medicine, he surprisingly didn't protest, which meant he must've really felt awful. 

Stan turned to walk out the door and let Richie sleep but he was stopped when a timid hand gripped the back of his shirt. He turned to see Richie looking up at him, tears forming at the corner of his big brown eyes.

"You want me to lay down with you, baby?" Stan tried (and failed) to fight off a smile at how sweet his boy was. 

"T-that'd be nice, please." Richie nodded, his hand still bunched up in the fabric of Stan's polo. Stanley nodded too and slipped under the covers with Richie, he was thankful that he was wearing his 'comfy plane clothes' in case he fell asleep. Richie turned and snuggled himself against Stan's chest, Stan tutted and pulled back to slip Richie's glasses off, setting them behind Richie. Stan's arms wrapped easily around Richie's frame, the two of them fitting together like puzzle pieces. 

"Hey, Rich?" Stan chuckled lightly, Richie hummed in response. "Is that my sweatshirt?" He ran his hand down Richie's back and the clothing item in question. 

"Maybe." Richie mumbled, Stan laughed, making Richie's heart skip a beat. "I was cold and.....and I missed you." Richie didn't lift his head from Stanley's chest while he spoke. Stan cooed and kissed the mop of dark curls in front of him. "Shut up!" Richie groaned, shoving Stan playfully, his push was weak, much like his protests. 

"I missed my sweet boy too." Stanley whispered with a smile, Richie pulled back to give him a gooey, lovesick grin that melted Stan’s heart. “Get some rest, baby, you’ll feel better when you wake up.” He promised, snuggling down and rubbing the tension from Richie's body as he started to drift off.

Richie didn't feel better when he woke up. 

Around 8 am, Richie practically fell out of bed and sprinted to the bathroom, falling in front of the toilet and gagging. His knees hit the tile so hard that he just knew they were gonna bruise. He cursed and gagged more as he started to sob, god he felt awful. 

Stanley’s eyes snapped open at the sound of a thump on the bathroom floor, he rolled over to check the time but soon hopped up at the noise of a Richie crying. The curly-haired boy scrambled to the bathroom down the hall and shoved the door open just in time to see his baby boy retch into the toilet again with a sob. Richie startled at the sound of the door swinging open and didn’t even look up before he started to cry harder.

“Sorry! I’m s-sorry, I will be quiet, I swear!” Richie hung his head and Stan wanted to punch the wall, he understood that it’s only been two months since Richie moved out of his parents’ house and that the effects of their abuse aren’t going to disappear. That doesn’t mean seeing Richie like this didn’t break Stan’s heart. 

“Hey hey easy, baby, it’s just me, it’s just Stan. I’m here, I’m gonna help you, okay? Trust me?” Stanley spoke softly, kneeling on the floor next to his boyfriend and reaching a hand out slowly. Richie finally met his eyes and nodded, Stan let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and scooted closer, pushing Richie’s curls back and running a hand down his spine. 

“Didn’t mean to wake you. M’really sorry.” Richie sighed as he finished another round of heaving. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Rich, it’s okay. Let it out, baby boy.” Stanley cooed as Richie hiccuped again, tears dripping off his freckled face and onto the white tile floor. 

“I t-think I’m done.” Richie coughed after another 4 minutes of gagging, his boyfriend nodded and helped him off the floor after flushing the toilet. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Stan whispered, wetting a rag and wiping Richie’s face before pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

“Thank you, Stanny.” Richie sways on his feet a little as he speaks, Stan gives him another kiss on the cheek before handing him a cup of water. Stan had a feeling they weren’t going to be able to go back to sleep after this so he waited until Richie was okay to leave the bathroom and led them to the living room. 

“Wanna watch something, darling?” Stan offered once he and Richie were sat comfortably on the couch, Richie in Stan’s lap as he stroked his hair. Richie hummed in approval and Stan pulled up Netflix. "How about some Supernatural?" Stan suggested, the show being the first thing on Richie's list.

"But you hate that show." Richie mumbled against Stan's shoulder, letting out a little breath when Stan's hand went under his sweatshirt to rub his back.

"I can make an exception if my boy doesn't feel good." He whispered back, leaning his head on Richie’s. 

“You’re too good to me, gorgeous.” Richie pulled back just enough to kiss Stan’s cheek and smile brightly at him. 

“Damn right, Tozier.” Stanley smirked easily, the episode of Supernatural now playing on the tv at a low volume. 

“I love you.” Richie sniffled, his arms tightening around Stan's shoulders, almost as if he was afraid Stan was going to dissapear.

"I love you." Stan repeated back, his hand now cupping the curve of Richie's bottom as he held him.

"Y'know, Stanny, if you wanted to fuck you could've just asked." Richie mumbled sleepily, Stan groaned, which made Richie giggle lightly.

"Shut up, dumbass." Stan said, but there was no real heat behind it. Richie pulled back to look at him, he was all glassy eyes and fever flushed face as he smiled.

"Never."


End file.
